Poor Taffy :(

I can't beleive Taffy will be 7 this spring, I've been so lucky to have him this long. But, with old age come many problems.

His vision suddenly took a turn for the worst. In the last 3-4 weeks he has had more trouble seeing than ever before. I feel so bad when I see him nosing around his cage trying to find his way back into his pigloo. He doesn't understand when I try to help him find his pigloo, it just makes him more nervous.

The cyst on his back is looking horrible again. In the past few months is has burst 3 or 4 times. I thought someone had given him a strawberry and he had made a mess all over his cage, but his cage was completely blood soaked. I changed it immediatly every time, and the blood soaked all the way through the litter and had left big blotches on the newspaper. He always seemed fine after that happened like it hadn't hurt him, but it just looked so awful that he must have felt it.

For a while now his breathing has become raspy. I know he needs a vet because he probably does have URI, but I can not take him. I'm not trying to be a bad owner, but Taffy has had two, possibly three, heart attacks. Two were because of him being in a stressful situation. (One time was a vet visit and another was moving him to my grandparent's house for them to pigsit) A trip to the vet now would be risking his life. Another heart attack would probably kill him.

Because of the heart attacks, he has trouble using his back legs. Some days he will be fine. He has been fine for a long time now, but sometimes I'll see him dragging them. Everytime he has had a heart attack he lost complete use of his back legs. It made me so sad seeing him dragging his back legs. That is how I've known when he has had a heart attack, his back legs will be completely useless. (Thankfully it has been nearly a year since his last heart attack, and it better stay that way! *knock on wood*)

Ontop of everything else, he is losing fur. Its not from lice or fleas, but I beleive just from old age. He gets enough vitamin C and other nutrients where he shouldn't just be losing hair. It has been thinning for a while now, so I beleive it is just old age. He sleeps a whole lot more now, too. He can be in a deep sleep for hours at a time now.

Sorry for writing a novel, but I just needed somewhere to get that all out. I love Taffy so much and I hate to see him suffer. This past year with him has been so tough, but he is such a fighter.

Now I'm going to get off the computer and get him his nightly salad. (Which has been increasing in size for the past month, even with his old age he can sure pack it all in!)

I'm sorry to hear about Taffys failing health. Seven is a good age for a g. pig. I'm sure you are keeping him comfortable and he knows you love him, that's all that matters right now. I will keep you both in my thoughts. {hugs}

Things aren't looking good again. Since Friday or Saturday Taffy hasn't been able to walk since then. Normally, he goes through phases of that but within a day or so he is fine.

He can't even balance on his back legs, he has just been laying on his side. I picked him up and moved him to a box and he was all wet, he hasn't been able to move to go to the bathroom! I felt so bad because I should have made sure he was in a dry spot in his cage, I can't beleive I didn't!

I moved him to a box so he can reach everything while laying down. I've been hand feeding him since Saturday morning, so hopefully he will be ok soon.

My mom has been feeding Taffy for me while I'm at school. He refuses to drink, so I think I'll have my dad help me use a syringe to get him water. But for now I'm feeding him watery (sp?) fruits and vegetables to he can get some liquid atleast. He's eating pellets on his own, I had his dish in the box and he started to munch on them before I left.

Wow, Taffy is seven?? That's a ripe old age for a guinea pig, but what a gift he has been to you!! I am so sorry about his failing health; believe me, I've been through all that in the last couple months with Domino too as you well know, though he's on a turn for the better. I know how you feel, and I hope Taffy's not in pain nad hopefully gets better! ((hugs))

Well, after posting last night my mom got Taffy to drink a lot of water. This morning I got him to drink a lot, too. He has started drinking on his own again!

He ate all the fresh food my mom gave him while I was at school, and I took him out about an hour ago and he hate timothy hay.

He really doesn't seem to be in any pain. He glady accepts any food that you give him and eats it like the pig he is! Now that he has started drinking I'm hoping that will help. He still has no use of his back legs, but he can get to all of his food and water without really getting up right now.

I really have no idea where this is going....I thought that he wouldn't get better, but now I'm starting to get my hopes up. I just hope whatever happens that he isn't in any pain.

The last time I thought about having him PTS was about a year ago when he had what I think was a heart attack. But he pulled through that, too. I really have no idea with this little guy, he has been through so much and hasn't given up yet.